Misleading news reports have created much confusion about the presence of PFAS chemistries in bodies of water around the country. We wanted to take the opportunity to lay out the facts. All PFAS Are Not The Same PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a large and diverse family of chemistry that makes possible the products that power our lives — the cellphones, tablets and telecommunications we use every day to connect with our friends and family; the aircrafts that power the U.S. military; alternative energy sources; and medical devices that help keep us healthy. PFAS are ..read more

Each August, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) promotes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Safe + Sound Week — a nationwide event emphasizing the importance of workplace health and safety and recognizing the successes of workplace safety programs. While we are excited to continue our tradition of highlighting the significance of workplace safety programs with OSHA during this week-long event, workplace health and safety is a year-round priority for ACC.   Employers and employees looking for information, guidance and resources on workplace safety should start wi ..read more

While plastic makers in the U.S. have different approaches and areas of focus, we’re all united on the need to solve the problem of plastic waste. Together, America’s Plastic Makers are helping to lead the way and we’re confident that we can address this problem as a nation. Three years ago, we established two ambitious goals: 100% of U.S. plastic packaging will be recyclable or recoverable by 2030, and 100% of U.S. plastics packaging will be reused, recovered or recycled by 2040. To reach these goals, we developed a set of principles to guide our efforts. And we built a RoadMap to Reuse, a p ..read more

Replacing HFCs with low GWP foam blowing agents helps building owners, appliance manufacturers, and others meet sustainability goals Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are highly potent greenhouse gases (GHGs) that are common in products like refrigerators, air conditioners, insulation and many others. The chemical industry has made significant investments in new technologies to replace these chemicals with more environmentally favorable alternatives. Some alternatives have a global warming potential (GWP) that is 1400 times lower than that of HFCs. Transitioning away from HFCs presents an opportunity ..read more

Congress moved one step closer to enacting infrastructure legislation yesterday when Senate lawmakers voted to begin debate on the latest version of their bipartisan deal with the Biden Administration. While the text has not been released yet, all indications are that the plan continues to include $13 billion in new Superfund taxes on 42 chemicals, critical minerals, and metallic elements. Much of cost will be borne by American chemistry, with likely ripple effects to businesses and consumers in the form of higher costs for goods that rely on chemistry components and increased pressure on supp ..read more

In an op-ed published in Morning Consult today, ACC President and CEO Chris Jahn explains why Superfund taxes on chemicals, critical minerals, and metallic elements must not be included in the bipartisan infrastructure plan being crafted by Senate lawmakers and the Biden administration. “By taxing the components of basic products, Congress would be asking consumers to pay more for essential items that are already stretching their household budgets. At a macro level, the new taxes would add pricing pressure when inflation is rising at its fastest rate since 2008 – 5.4 percent in June from the ..read more

There has been significant activity in the first half of this year regarding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or fluorotechnology. PFAS are vital to enabling our lives in the 21st century. PFAS are a large and diverse universe of chemistries that make possible the products that power our lives — the cellphones, tablets and telecommunications we use every day to connect with our friends and family; the aircraft that powers the U.S. military; alternative energy sources; and medical devices that help keep us healthy. We wanted to provide a snapshot of key events and activities so far i ..read more

The products of silicone chemistry enable our nation’s efforts to improve energy efficiency — from insulation to coolants to packaging — and are critical to the many innovative technologies that help drive cleaner energy options, create green jobs and propel U.S. economic growth. Globally, it is estimated that about 962,000 tons of silicone products annually are purchased for use in the energy sector in renewable energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines, as well as in traditional energy sources like oil, gas, and electricity. Improving Energy Efficiency In solar panels, for example ..read more

For decades, organizations like the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Green Building Initiative (GBI), and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) have been leaders in educating architects, builders, designers and other stakeholders on the importance of improving the health, environmental and sustainability impacts of buildings and materials. These efforts have led to a growing recognition that buildings can positively impact the health and wellbeing of people, the communities where they live and the environment as a whole. As an industry, it is critical that we work with thes ..read more

Common Questions (and Answers!) about One of the Hottest Growth Areas in Plastics Recycling You might have read that recent developments in advanced recycling are turning old problems into new possibilities. More and more, advanced recycling technologies are picking up where traditional recycling leaves off, helping to convert significantly more used plastic into new products, many of which can be recycled again and again. It’s also a field where technological developments are prompting new business models with exciting, promising outcomes for the environment. As with anything that’s generatin ..read more